What to expect from the Biennale Musica 2025

Venice is not only synonymous with the Art Biennale or architecture exhibitions. The Biennale institution also organizes major periods dedicated to theatre, dance and, above all, music, which this coming October, from the 11th to the 25th, will see curator Caterina Barbieri attempt to transform what is already a landmark for many fans of experimental and research-driven music. She aims to attract not only dedicated listeners but also those seeking a fuller experience—one not limited to open-air listening, but enriched with clubbing atmospheres, thanks to the many, perhaps too many, venues owned by the Biennale between the Venetian islands and the mainland. Caterina Barbieri, born in 1990 and based in Berlin but very active in the Italian scene, has a deep understanding of what music means—technically, theoretically, and philosophically—proving the legitimacy of her appointment as director last year. She managed to revitalize an event that is evolving into a full-fledged festival. We’ve seen her involved in numerous events both in Italy and abroad, including Sonar 2019 and Atonal in 2023. But it's worth remembering that Italy has long been at the heart of such experimentation, often outside the main cities. As a curator, she had already explored a new side of herself when, in May 2024, she organized two days of festival programming at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in memory of Peter Rehberg aka PITA. She is now preparing the Venice event with equally thoughtful attention, but with greater complexity in terms of organization. Barbieri’s musical Biennale will be called «La stella dentro», and as she herself told us, she envisions the festival as a living organism, where sound becomes a tool for collective transformation. The curator explores the possibilities of “cosmic music”, blending electronics, drone, minimalism, and rituality.

The announced names make you want to buy tickets immediately, even though they’re not yet available. William Basinski will perform with his melancholic and stretched-out soundscapes, adding—for the occasion—the hum of Venice’s vaporetto engines, literally a Venetian ambient experience. Next up is Laurie Spiegel, a pioneer of cosmic electronics. Then comes the dialogue between Suzanne Ciani and Actress, promising sparks—a true generational clash between the synth trailblazer and one of the UK scene’s most cryptic producers. Carl Craig, Detroit’s champion, brings an openly party-driven energy to Venice—his will probably be the most dancefloor-ready night of the festival, finally bringing a club-like climax into an institutional context. From Sunn O))) to Moritz von Oswald in choral mode, all the way to the ritual-pop incursions of diasporic artists like Chuquimamani-Condori, whose sound will flow through the canals of the Arsenale. More than a music showcase, it feels like a conceptual cosmic rave (and we love that). It’s an invitation to participate—and to highlight Italy’s importance in the global electronic music scene, thanks to the bold decision to entrust curatorial roles to young artists. With over fifteen world premieres and a line-up that redraws the boundary between avant-garde and spirituality, this isn’t just a music festival but an immersive experience suspended in time, rooted in sonic matter, and aiming for present-day ecstasy.